Born on March 2, Dr. Seuss is the beloved author who brought us such favorite characters as the Grinch, Horton, and the Cat in the Hat. Join us for fun-filled activities in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday!

What do you know about the out-of-doors and the changing of seasons? What happens when snow falls? What do the trees look like in winter? Icy boughs, covered in snow. How do you feel when snow falls? Look here! We have red ears. And, there? Frosty hair!

Look at the animal prints, the snowmen. How about at night? Everything is white—night white! What will you see soon? A hint of green? Suddenly, it's April, May, June. Springtime is almost here!

Around this time of year, I always feel like I have gotten out of all my routines, and I think our children sometimes feel the same way. After weeks of staying up later than normal, traveling, and attending special events, it can be a challenge to get “back into the swing of things” after the holidays. Along with re-establishing school night bedtimes and homework schedules, January is a great time to refocus on a reading routine. Sharing some new stories with children can remind them how fun reading is and rekindle their passion for reading time. Try these fun stories with unexpected twists to delight the young ones.

Five kids, one well, and no coincidences. At least that’s what Kaori Tanaka, self-proclaimed 12-year-old psychic, tells her clients: no coincidences.

Of course, right now, Kaori’s psychic business is limited to an assistant—her little sister Gen—and one client—Virgil Salinas. Virgil is shy, misunderstood by everyone in his boisterous family except his Filipina grandmother, and bullied by Chet Bullens. He also needs Kaori’s help in figuring out how to approach Valencia Somerset, whom he would desperately like to befriend. Valencia is deaf, loves nature, secretly wants a friend, and has just found Kaori’s flyer at the supermarket.

This readalike is in response to a customer's book-match request. If you would like personalized reading recommendations, fill out the book-match form and a librarian will email suggested titles to you. Available for adults, teens, and kids. You can browse the book matches here.

By Winter's Light by Stephanie Laurens
As the six Cynster families gather together for the holidays at snowbound Casphairn Manor in Scotland, Claire Meadows, widow, and governess to Gabriel Cynster's daughter starts a relationship with tutor Daniel Crosbie. (catalog summary)

In the Midst of Winter: A Novel by Isabel Allende
Richard Bowmaster—a 60-year-old human rights scholar—hits the car of Evelyn Ortega—a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala—in the middle of a snowstorm in Brooklyn. What at first seems just a small inconvenience takes an unforeseen and far more serious turn when Evelyn turns up at the professor's house seeking help. At a loss, the professor asks his tenant Lucia Maraz—a 62-year-old lecturer from Chile—for her advice. These three very different people are brought together in a mesmerizing story that moves from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala in the recent past to 1970s Chile and Brazil, sparking the beginning of a long overdue love story between Richard and Lucia. (catalog summary)

Twelve years ago, right before Ada was born, a genetic experiment on Long Island went horribly wrong. The result? Hundreds of children born with Chimera Syndrome—the combination of human DNA and animal DNA. Nearly all the children who lived have animal features. Their wildly different appearances and altered senses set them apart from everyone else. These children became known as kimes, and everyone is terrified of them.

The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah, is an intense portrait of human frailty and resilience.
Alaska, 1974. Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed. For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival. Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America's last true frontier. But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt's fragile mental state deteriorates, and the family begins to fracture. Soon, the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in 18 hours of the night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves. (catalog summary)

This readalike is in response to a customer's book-match request. If you would like personalized reading recommendations, fill out the book-match form and a librarian will email suggested titles to you. Available for adults, teens, and kids. You can browse the book matches here.

On Tuesday, December 19, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution renaming England Run Branch as William J. Howell Branch, in honor of the retiring House of Delegates Speaker. The resolution can be found here on the Stafford County website, and the Free Lance-Star covered the change in this article. Speaker Howell has served in the General Assembly since 1988, and he and his wife Cessie have been library supporters for many years.